North Melbourne interim coach Leigh Adams concedes the Roos “haven’t been able to help” Jason Horne-Francis in terms of where he’s played, but he’s confident the youngster is a star of the future.
Horne-Francis has played 16 games in his first year of footy in what has largely been a successful debut season playing for a club set to finish in the bottom two.
The 19-year-old has been thrown into the inside midfield to average 16.6 disposals and 3.6 clearances per game against the bigger, more experienced bodies.
However, the South Australian product is far from the top of the market for the Rising Star. Adams admitted it would have been nice to use Horne-Francis in a Nick Daicos-type role if the Roos’ style had permitted.
“I’ve been really happy with his development. It’s not unfortunate, it’s the reality of the draft, but the best player in the underage comp goes to the team that finishes on the bottom of the ladder,” he said on SEN SA Breakfast.
“We probably haven’t had the luxury of Collingwood, what they’ve been able to do with Nick Daicos, chuck him at half back and ease him into it a little bit more.
“With Jase, where we’re at as a football club, we had to chuck him a little bit more into the heat and battle of it.”
Adams said further: “I’ve seen some really good signs that he’s going to be a really good player as an inside midfielder, he’s been able to get himself to a really good level Monday to Friday to become a professional and give himself the best opportunity.
“We probably haven’t been able to help him in terms of he’s played inside mid and then when he has gone forward, we clearly haven’t got enough inside 50s to let him be damaging.
“I’m really comfortable with the development he’s had, but understand that the outside world can be really impatient at times with 18-year-old kids.”
Daicos, who has largely played off half back for Collingwood, is the hot favourite to claim the Rising Star.
Horne-Francis was captain of the South Australian under-19 team in his draft year and Adams was also asked about the midfielder’s leadership capacities.
“He’s got the actions of a leader on field for sure,” Adams said.
“His competitiveness, you’ve probably seen it boil over at times with his frustrations at how we’re going as a team, to me he’s a leader that leads on the field with his actions.
“I haven’t seen too many players come in first year and lead a group off the field, which they’re not expected to do, but he’s definitely got some on-field leadership that we really value.”
Horne-Francis and North Melbourne will meet the Crows at Adelaide Oval on Saturday afternoon.